Travis is a graduate student at the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, where he specializes in Geospatial Data Science and Ecosystem Science and Management. He previously studied Music Performance as an undergraduate before spending a decade strengthening southeast Michigan’s local food system through his work with Argus Farm Stop. These experiences sparked a passion for ecology, and today he is dedicated to finding ways for humans to lessen our impact on biodiversity.

TSN Conference 2026

January 23rd, 2026 (Friday) // 11:20 am – 11:45 am // Room 103 // Measuring What Matters: A Rapid Assessment Toolkit for Prioritizing Areas for Conservation // Many universities hold undeveloped lands that are critical to maintaining biodiversity in increasingly urbanized landscapes. These fragmented natural areas face threats from climate change, invasive species, pollution, and reduced species diversity. The University of Michigan recognizes both the opportunity and responsibility to be a leader in stewarding its natural areas for ecological and community benefit. To support this goal, we developed a suite of field and GIS metrics for scoring and ranking the ecological integrity of natural areas. The results of our project will enable the University of Michigan to integrate existing natural areas into its sustainability goals and educational experiences. The framework we present can be applied to a wide variety of institutions and landscapes for conservation planning.